Steve Spott

Sharks coach Pete DeBoer was traveling to Columbus, Ohio from New York on Sunday afternoon and is trying to arrive in time for the start of San Jose’s game against the Blue Jackets, assistant Steve Spott said.

*Update: DeBoer has arrived at Nationwide Arena

DeBoer missed the Sharks’ 3-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday as he was attending to a personal matter.

Spott and fellow assistants Bob Boughner, and Johan Hedberg jointly handled the coaching duties for the Penguins game, with Hedberg on the bench on a headset with team video coach Dan Darrow.

Searching for their fifth straight win on this road trip, the Sharks are making some adjustments to their forward lines and to one combination on defense for their game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday at Consol Energy Center.

Joonas Donskoi moves up to the second line with Patrick Marleau and Joel Ward, Nikolay Goldobin draws back in as he’ll skate on the third line with Tomas Hertl and Tommy Wingels, and Matt Nieto is back on the fourth line with Chris Tierney and Mike Brown.

Sharks forward Logan Couture took another step forward in his recovery from a fractured right fibula at the ankle, skating with his equipment Saturday at Consol Energy Center for the first time since his surgery five weeks ago.

Couture stayed on the ice for roughly 15 minutes after the Sharks completed their morning skate in advance of Saturday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Under the observation of head athletic trainer Ray Tufts and assistant coaches Steve Spott and Bob Boughner, both Couture and Ben Smith (head injury) simply skated laps around the rink.

The Sharks’ initial plan was for Couture not to skate at all on the road trip, which concludes Sunday in Columbus with a game against the Blue Jackets. But Couture skated briefly without equipment on Thursday in Philadelphia, and took another small step Saturday by wearing his hockey gear and staying out on the ice a bit longer.

The Sharks announced that coach Pete DeBoer will not be behind the bench for the team’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday at Consol Engery Center due to a personal matter. It is unclear whether DeBoer will able to rejoin the team for Sunday’s game in Columbus against the Blue Jackets.

Sharks assistants Steve Spott, Bob Boughner and Johan Hedberg will jointly handle coaching duties for the game. Hedberg will move down from the press box and be on the bench on a headset with team video coach Dan Darrow.

Should preface this by saying I haven’t spoken with GM Doug Wilson yet, but the Sharks finished the 2015 NHL Draft with nine selections, eight coming today. The first one happened right out of the gate, as the Sharks sent three picks to the Avalanche, 39th this year, a 2nd rounder next year and a sixth rounder in 2017, for No. 31 that was used on D Jeremy Roy. The picks given up for the next two drafts were previously acquired in last year’s Brad Stuart trade.

But perhaps the biggest news was that there was no real big news. The Kevin Bieksa deal died on the vine. The Sharks didn’t swing a deal for a goalie, and presently only have two netminders under contract (Stalock, Grosenick) after they dealt Antti Niemi’s negotiation rights to the Dallas Stars for pick No. 193 this year, which turned into 6-foot-5 goalie John Kupsky of Waukeshaw, Wisconsin.

We’ll have updates later with Wilson’s comments. But in the last few minutes in talks with reporters who are at the draft, Wilson said …

The Sharks have received permission from the Toronto Maple Leafs to talk to Steve Spott about becoming an assistant coach on Peter DeBoer’s staff, the Toronto Sun reported.
Spott had been with the Leafs organization for the past two seasons. He was the head coach of Toronto’s AHL affiliate in 2013-14 and was a Leafs assistant for the 2014-15 season before he was let go in April.
Spott was DeBoer’s assistant with the Ontario Hockey League’s Plymouth Whalers from 1997-2001, and the Kitchener Rangers from 2001-2008. When DeBoer left to coach the Florida Panthers in 2008, Spott took over as Kitchener’s head coach and also served as the Rangers’ general manager for five seasons.
“For me, I’d like to get my staff together as quickly as possible and get some planning in place,” DeBoer said at his introductory press conference Thursday. “That’s your first reaction. At the same time, you have to get the right people.”
Dave Barr, DeBoer’s former assistant in New Jersey, has also been mentioned as a possibility to become a part of DeBoer’s staff in San Jose.